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When I dream of our possible future in Brooklyn, my dreams have a very specific aesthetic. Our home is a classic prewar brownstone, chock full of original details. The ceilings are high and the floorboards are wide. Light streams in through huge and plentiful windows. (Every room has a southern exposure, of course.) And our decor is an eclectic mix of mid-century lines, vintage accents and bold textiles.

I’m no fool. I know the hefty price tag a prewar brownstone commands, and I’m well aware that we’re more likely to end up in a dark, dank basement apartment. But that doesn’t mean a girl can’t dream.

Prewar, generally speaking, refers to apartment buildings built before World War II. If we’re being specific, anything built before World War I is pre-prewar, and buildings from before the Spanish-American war in 1898 are pre-pre-prewar. But when you take an overarching look at the architecture of New York living spaces from the 1850s to the 1940s, most of them share a few key characteristics.

Well, folks, we survived 2014. I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go. There have certainly been some highlights and plenty of happy moments, but I think I’ve spent the majority of this year feeling a little uneasy. My resolution at the end of 2013 was to try and settle into my life – I’ve gone through a major change every single year since graduating college, and I figured it was about time to give it a rest – but I discovered an inability to do so. Brad and I can’t seem to settle into our life here in Atlanta because something just isn’t right, and that’s why I’m so happy that we’re planning to make this New York thing happen. I mean, who knows? Maybe that won’t be right either. But at least we’re trying.

Anyway, back to the highlights. I’d like to focus on the positive, and there was a lot of that. So, let’s look back at a few of my favorite blog posts from 2014.

The first big chunk of the year was completely consumed by the Home Depot Patio Style Challenge. Seriously, what an amazing experience. It was so much work, and at times we asked ourselves what the hell we’d gotten ourselves into, but every step of the process was incredibly rewarding. The finished product wasn’t too shabby, either.

Once that was done, we mostly sat around under the completed pergola and avoided our power tools. We were exhausted. But I did dive into my blog reader and Pinterest boards with a renewed sense of purpose, in hopes of finding inspiration for making the rest of our home as pretty as our deck. To keep our decor strategy cohesive, I wrote up a list of design preferences that felt like us.

Over the summer, I put the theory into practice by making some much-needed updates to our downstairs. True to my word, I incorporated warm woods, pops of color, brass accents, patterned rugs and rustic elements.

Even after buying a few new pieces, I couldn’t stop daydreaming about things like cognac leather sofas and Saarinen side tables, so when Chairish asked me to e-design a room around one of their accent chairs, I jumped at the chance.

Shortly after writing that post, we started thinking about moving, so I put all home updates on hold. Pausing all my projects was tough, but it gave me time to focus on other areas and actually do some reading. I was intrigued (and kind of troubled) by all the press around a woman’s right to alter her appearance, and I wrote about my own struggles with self image.

So, now it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to a little trepidation at the year ahead. I’m hoping it’ll include a move up north, an influx of stable work for Brad, a new career for me and a renewed excitement for the path we’re on, but there’s a lot of potential for disappointment in those dreams. All we can do now is move forward with optimism and calculated care.

Tonight, we’ll celebrate the New Year with our best friends – for what could be the last time – and hope for the best.

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? What about your hopes for 2015?

The intersecting lines on the back echo the shape of three classics created by master designers who had come before Starck and Quitllet. (Hence the name.) From left to right: The Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen (1955), the Tulip Arm Chair by Eero Saarinen (1956) and the Molded Plastic Wire-Base Side Chair – also known as the Eiffel chair – by Charles and Ray Eames (1948).

Can you see the shapes?! I think the Masters Chair is particularly amazing because it’s so beautiful on its own but pays such clear homage to its three predecessors. And like so many modern chairs, it fits seamlessly into almost any interior.

I love to see that curvy, sexy back juxtaposed against a boxy, rectangular table:

The Kartell Metal collection was announced back in March, but this is the first time I’m seeing one of the metallic Masters Chairs in a room, and I am absolutely consumed with jealousy. They’re not available until early 2015, so Edwards is one lucky lady. (I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on her copper and leather Palermo Butterfly Chair, either.)

The chairs will come in gold, silver, gun-metal grey and copper, so let’s just go ahead and put the copper on my dream house wish list right now.

As we’ve been making minor updates to our home to make it more attractive to potential buyers, I’ve wrestled with whether to match our faucets to our light fixtures, our cabinet hardware to our doorknobs, etc. I’m a bit stuck between my own eclectic style and the more conservative look that Brookhaven buyers seems to favor.

There’s no question about where I fall in the mixed metals debate. I am all for it. The key, in my opinion, is to make it look deliberate. Your home shouldn’t look like you’ve been swapping out builder-grade features one at a time and haven’t gotten around to all of them. The goal is to create balance by juxtaposing styles and finishes that complement each other.

A note: Because many appliances don’t come in warm metals (and not everyone can afford a La Cornue range or cabinet-paneled pieces), I generally consider stainless steel appliances to be a neutral. There are some exceptions, but I say ignore ‘em.

We’ve done some amateur metal-mixing in our home, but for a master class, check out these insanely beautiful kitchens:

#1: Chrome, Antique Brass and Bronze
With its glossy flat-front cabinets, contemporary chrome barstools, marble waterfall island and mirrored tile backsplash, this kitchen from Rue Magazine could have skewed toward cold and unwelcoming very easily. The antique silver pitcher and bronze/brass Hicks pendants add a lived-in touch. See a few different angles here.

#2: Brass, Bronze and Copper
In designer Sarah Sherman Samuel’s recently updated kitchen, she used warm metals exclusively. Again, those and the rustic wood elements keep the mostly-white kitchen from feeling too cold and modern. See more photos here.

#4: Silver and Wrought Iron
Once more, we see a mix of modern finishes (glossy solid surface countertops, a chrome coil-spring faucet) and rustic elements (reclaimed wood shelves with wrought iron brackets, terra cotta pots, wood cutting board). Modern + rustic is one of my favorite kitchen combos. From House & Home’s June 2014 issue, found via SF Girl by Bay.

#5: Brass, Copper and Chrome
In contrast, if you want to mix several metals without losing cohesiveness, it helps to pick one style and stick with it. This kitchen, photographed by Aubrie Pick, uses modern fixtures across the board, which allows for some flexibility in finishes.

#6: Silver and Gold
Luckily for renters, light fixtures and hardware aren’t the only way to mix metals. If you’re dealing with generic builder-grade finishes, add a collected, custom vibe with gold-framed vintage art and a well-loved rug. See more of Naomi Stein’s Philadelphia loft (one of my all-time favorite homes, FWIW) here and here.

#7: Silver and Bronze
For those who think you can only mix warm with warm and cool with cool, I bring you this beautiful kitchen by Benjamin Dhong. The warm bronze cabinet hardware and sconce play well with the putty-colored cabinets and pops of yellow, but the big silver banded globe chandelier takes the otherwise-traditional kitchen to another level. The standout piece would have been a focal point in any finish, but the contrasting metal really draws your eye.

#8: Gold and Polished Silver
I absolutely love the bravery that Tobi Tobin employed when she updated her 100-year-old farmhouse’s kitchen. The high-gloss black cabinets modernize the room a bit, but the visible brush strokes keep things cozy. In this case, I think brass cabinet knobs would have taken away from the ornate gold and crystal chandelier. Using polished silver for the hardware and faucet is the perfect way to keep the eye where it belongs. See more at House Beautiful.

#9: Steel, Gold and Silver
Technically, I think those pendants might be glass, but let’s call them gold for simplicity’s sake. In any case, you certainly wouldn’t expect to see them paired with industrial steel bar stools, but there they are, and I think they look fantastic. The flea market stools, glam pendants and brass deer head give a curated feel to what would otherwise be a pretty typical modern white kitchen. See more of the loft at Design*Sponge.

#10: Brass, Stainless Steel and Bronze
There’s a lot going on in this kitchen: industrial stainless appliances, reclaimed wood shelves, brass bin pulls, a copper colander, a bronze pendant … And you can’t even see the two gold chandeliers over the table in this photo. Somehow, though, it all contributes to a lived-in bistro style that never feels schizophrenic. It helps that the decor is minimal: The shelves are sparsely-styled, there’s not much on the counters, and even the two patterned fabrics in the room (the roman shades, not pictured, and the rug) are tone-on-tone, close in shade to the lower cabinets. Makes you feel like you could pull off a kitchen with about seven different finishes, right? See more at House & Home.

So, what do you think? Would you try mixing metals in your home? What parameters would you use to keep things from looking crazy?

Since we started thinking about moving to Brooklyn, I’ve been reading a lot about how to personalize a rental apartment. We’ve rented in the past, but after a few years of beefing up our home improvement experience, I feel like we’re much better equipped to make changes now.

One update that can be quick and easy (assuming that the wiring isn’t a total mess) is swapping out a light fixture. It made a huge difference in our kitchen, and we’d definitely consider doing it again. So, I’ve been gathering a few of my favorite DIY light fixtures. I’m especially digging the recent influx of modern geometric pieces. Check out my faaaves.